Wayne State University Wayne State University Dissertations 1-1-2015 "if More Women Knew More Jokes...": The omicC Dramaturgy Of Sarah Ruhl And Sheila Callaghan Jennifer Ann Goff Wayne State University, Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_dissertations Recommended Citation Goff, Jennifer Ann, ""if More Women Knew More Jokes...": The omicC Dramaturgy Of Sarah Ruhl And Sheila Callaghan" (2015). Wayne State University Dissertations. Paper 1133. This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@WayneState. It has been accepted for inclusion in Wayne State University Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@WayneState. “IF MORE WOMEN KNEW MORE JOKES…” THE COMIC DRAMATURGY OF SARAH RUHL AND SHEILA CALLAGHAN by JENNIFER ANN GOFF DISSERTATION Submitted to the Graduate School of Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY 2015 MAJOR: THEATRE Approved by: ________________________________________ Advisor Date ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ © COPYRIGHT BY JENNIFER GOFF 2015 All Rights Reserved DEDICATION For my nieces, Anya and Ella: two of the funniest chicks I know! ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The work of this dissertation would simply not have been possible without support from numerous amazing people. Dr. Mary Anderson was an irreplaceable guide on this strange path, providing advice, perspective, and sanity. The lessons I have learned from Dr. James Thomas about how to read a script profoundly shaped my work as a scholar, a teacher, and an artist (besides getting me a few extra stamps in my passport!). Dr. Mary Cooney and Dr. Anne Duggan's exceptional insights and generosity were of utmost importance in guiding me to the end of this crazy journey and showing me a way forward from here. All the remarkable faculty of Wayne State University's Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance have been amazing inspirations and supports over the last several years. My colleagues – Julia Moriarty, Bilha Birman‐Rivlin, Kassy Skoretz, Dr. Michael Butterworth, and Aaron Westlake – provided incomparable friendship and empathy. All those crazy MFA kids, whose shared classes and stories (and a few beers), immeasurably enhanced my doctoral study. And I am forever in debt to the absolutely unforgettable undergraduates of the Bonstelle Company, whose enthusiasm, energy, and curiosity challenged and delighted me at every turn. I must acknowledge the profound influence of my dear friends from The Distracted Globe Theatre Company in Greenville, SC – in particular Co‐Artistic Directors Anne and Jayce Tromsness – who taught me so much about theatre and comedy, and how they and I can act on the world. And finally: my family. My brothers: my irreplaceable partners in crime. My aunts and cousins: many of whom have been cohorts and examples in higher education. My fiancé Brian: my greatest cheerleader who helps me to believe in myself, and to love life even in the iii toughest days. Our adorable, ridiculous cats (yes, they’re family too): they remind me every day to enjoy the little things. And my parents: two extraordinary people who have spent decades believing in me, supporting me, picking me up, showing me how to live, and generally being the greatest teachers and parents anyone could possibly ask for. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION .................................................................................................................................................. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................................................. iii LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................................................... vii LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................................... viii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 1 WOMEN, COMEDY AND THE CANON ....................................................................................................... 3 METHODS – Close Reading ..................................................................................................................... 18 METHODS – Dramaturgy ......................................................................................................................... 20 METHODS – Interview ............................................................................................................................. 25 METHODS – From Page to Stage ............................................................................................................. 26 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................... 29 The Playwrights and Their Plays ............................................................................................................. 29 Dramatic and Theatrical Theory ............................................................................................................. 33 Comic Theory .......................................................................................................................................... 35 Consciousness Raising ............................................................................................................................. 39 CHAPTER 3: SARAH RUHL ............................................................................................................................ 44 METHODS – Impurity of Form................................................................................................................. 44 The Clean House: Dirty Jokes and Death ................................................................................................. 46 Passion Play: Divine Laughter ................................................................................................................. 61 CHAPTER 4: SHEILA CALLAGHAN ................................................................................................................ 74 METHODS – Violation, Abjection, and the Grotesque ............................................................................ 76 v That Pretty Pretty, or The Rape Play ....................................................................................................... 81 Women Laughing Alone With Salad ....................................................................................................... 91 CHAPTER 5: A PERSONAL ACCOUNT OF ONE DIRECTOR’S APPROACH TO DEAD MAN’S CELL PHONE .... 100 THE ASSIGNMENT ................................................................................................................................. 104 ANALYSIS AND REHEARSAL ................................................................................................................... 107 CELL PHONES AND PHOTOS AND SPOONS, OH MY! ............................................................................. 122 CELLULAR BEINGS ................................................................................................................................. 133 A COMIC TONE ...................................................................................................................................... 141 CURTAIN CALL ....................................................................................................................................... 153 CHAPTER 6: EPILOGUE .............................................................................................................................. 155 APPENDIX: Full Transcript of Interview with Sheila Callaghan ................................................................. 162 REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................................. 172 ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................................. 190 AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT ............................................................................................................ 192 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 ‐ Jennifer Goff in conversation with Professor William Hezlep in the Fine Arts Theatre at SMSU .................................................................................................................................................................. 100 Figure 2 ‐ Complete production binder with rehearsal script on top ....................................................... 106 Figure 3 ‐ Jean holds a spoon under Gordon's nose to see if he is breathing ‐ WSU ............................... 126 Figure 4 ‐ Jean gives Mrs. Gottlieb the spoon at SMSU ............................................................................ 129 Figure 5 ‐ Mrs. Gottlieb with the spoon around her neck at SMSU .......................................................... 130 Figure 6 ‐ Jean with Hermia and her salt shaker at WSU .......................................................................... 131 Figure 7 ‐ Mrs. Gottlieb and Jean at WSU ................................................................................................